Double victory at WES and UCI World Cup

Well earned congratulations are in order for Jeroen van Eck and the CST PostNL Bafang Mountain Bike Racing Team, after adding another two fantastic wins to their growing number of victories.

WES Series, Girona

The first sight of gold was at the WES series E-MTB World Cup race on Friday 24th September 2021 in Girona, Spain. It was an exciting opening day for the men’s category at the Costa Brava which hosted the Girona Sea Otter Europe, with many high-profile riders from across the world showcasing their talents in these exhilarating rounds of racing.

All eyes were on Jérôme Gilloux who positioned first on the grid following a confident win at the mornings Qualirace, but to many spectator’s surprise it was Joris Ryf that got off to a flying start, scoring the Holeshot which catapulted him into the lead. The race took a thrilling turn, with ‘Flying Dutchman’ Jeroen van Eck gaining a significant lead on the American E-agle Bike, sporting Bafang’s M500 motor. And he managed to keep up pole position for the remainder, with a final sprint towards the finish line.

These extraordinary efforts resulted in the first win of the series for van Eck, with Gilloux taking the second-place podium, closely followed by Theo Charmes claiming third.

Watch all the highlights here:

UCI Mountain Bike Eliminator, Barcelona

The action was not over however for the CST PostNL Bafang Mountain Bike Racing Team, as the following weekend saw the highly anticipated final leg of the 2021 UCI Mountain Bike Eliminator World Cup take place in Barcelona, Spain. Riders took to one of the cities natural treasures, Park Montjuïc, where nerves ran high as the battle to become the 2021 UCI World Cup title champion commenced.

The overall Men’s standings heading into the final of the tournament were very close, with only two points separating Jeroen van Eck’s 285 point lead from Simon Gegenheimer’s 283. The Time Trial results proved no different, with Swedish rider Anton Olstam ranking top of the class, whilst Simon Gegenheimer and Jeroen van Eck followed closely in pursuit.

van Eck gave his all throughout the final chase of the day to reign victorious, maintaining a challenging advantage to the line. It was clear to see just how much this victory meant to him, not only winning in the same spot as he did in 2020 but also clinching the UCI World Cup Overall Title from Gegenheimer.

Following the race, Jeroen van Eck expressed, “Knowing I was only a few points above Simon, I came into this race knowing there was a lot on the table. This is exactly what the Eliminator is, everything that looks smooth doesn’t come easy! I won the World Cup in Barcelona for the third time, and now I’ve won the overall. I just cannot believe it!”

To see more from the UCI Mountain Bike Eliminator World Cup final, visit Jeroen’s YouTube channel below to watch his highlight video from that weekend’s race: